Top 25 Life and Biological Sciences Articles of 2024

Top articles

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  Why flying insects gather at artificial light

  It is unclear why flying insects congregate around artificial light sources. Here, the authors use high-speed videography and motion-capture, finding that insects fly perpendicular to light sources due to a disruption of the dorsal light response.

  • Samuel T. Fabian
  • Yash Sondhi
  • Huai-Ti Lin

  ArticleOpen Access30 Jan 2024 Nature Communications
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  Children born after assisted reproduction more commonly carry a mitochondrial genotype associating with low birthweight

  Assisted reproduction increases low birthweight risk in children. This study finds a mitochondrial DNA genotype that is more common in ART children, associates to birthweight and that is linked to maternal ageing and to ovarian stimulation.

  • Joke Mertens
  • Florence Belva
  • Claudia Spits

  ArticleOpen Access9 Feb 2024 Nature Communications
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  Contextual and combinatorial structure in sperm whale vocalisations

  Sperm whales use sequences of clicks to communicate. Here, the authors show that these vocalizations are significantly more complex than previously believed-the “sperm whale phonetic alphabet" has both combinatorial structure and call modulation dependent on the conversational context.

  • Pratyusha Sharma
  • Shane Gero
  • Jacob Andreas

  ArticleOpen Access7 May 2024 Nature Communications
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  Gene editing for latent herpes simplex virus infection reduces viral load and shedding in vivo

  The main challenge for anti-HSV therapy is to target latent virus in ganglionic neurons. Here, the authors report a well-tolerated anti-HSV gene editing approach against HSV which targets latent HSV genomes and leads to reductions of ganglionic viral loads, and viral shedding upon reactivation in mouse models.

  • Martine Aubert
  • Anoria K. Haick
  • Keith R. Jerome

  ArticleOpen Access13 May 2024 Nature Communications
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  3D chromatin maps of a brown alga reveal U/V sex chromosome spatial organization

  The 3D chromatin organisation of sex chromosomes within the nucleus remains elusive. This study determines the chromatin architecture of the brown alga Ectocarpus, linking sex-specific chromatin dynamics, histone modification and gene expression to the 3D structure of the U and V sex chromosomes.

  • Pengfei Liu
  • Jeromine Vigneau
  • Susana M. Coelho

  ArticleOpen Access6 Nov 2024 Nature Communications
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  Genomic language model predicts protein co-regulation and function

  A gene’s function is governed by its sequence, structure and context. Here, the authors develop a genomic language model that learns contextualized functional representations from diverse and large-scale metagenomic datasets.

  • Yunha Hwang
  • Andre L. Cornman
  • Peter R. Girguis

  ArticleOpen Access3 Apr 2024 Nature Communications
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  CRISPR/Cas9 editing of NKG2A improves the efficacy of primary CD33-directed chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cells

  NK cell-based therapy can kill acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but immune suppression may occur. Here the authors overcome the immunosuppression of AML-targeted CAR33-NK cells via non-viral CRISPR-editing of the immune checkpoint NKG2A, leading to an enhanced potency of the CAR-NK cell product with sustained anti-tumor efficacy.

  • Tobias Bexte
  • Nawid Albinger
  • Evelyn Ullrich

  ArticleOpen Access30 Sep 2024 Nature Communications
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  Drug target prediction through deep learning functional representation of gene signatures

  Large-scale OMICs investigations of biological systems can be used to predict functional relationships between compounds, genes and proteins. Here, the authors develop a deep learning-based approach that significantly increases the number of high-quality compound-target predictions relative to existing methods.

  • Hao Chen
  • Frederick J. King
  • Yingyao Zhou

  ArticleOpen Access29 Feb 2024 Nature Communications
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  Innate immune responses against mRNA vaccine promote cellular immunity through IFN-β at the injection site

  The initial immune response following mRNA vaccine injection is not entirely clear. Here, the authors comprehensively profile injection site responses using single-cell transcriptomics in a mouse model showing activation of major axes of innate immune responses upon and the role of IFN-β to promote cellular immunity.

  • Seongryong Kim
  • Ji Hyang Jeon
  • Jinah Yeo

  ArticleOpen Access27 Aug 2024 Nature Communications
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  Cases of trisomy 21 and trisomy 18 among historic and prehistoric individuals discovered from ancient DNA

  Information on the occurrence of aneuploidies in prehistory human populations are rare. Here, from a large screen of ancient human genomes and osteological examination, the authors find genetic evidence for six cases of trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and one case of trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) in historic and prehistoric infants.

  • Adam Benjamin Rohrlach
  • Maïté Rivollat
  • Kay Prüfer

  ArticleOpen Access20 Feb 2024 Nature Communications
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  Exome-wide analysis implicates rare protein-altering variants in human handedness

  Left-handedness is a common and partly heritable trait. Here, the authors perform a genome-wide screen for rare, protein-altering genetic variants associated with handedness in over 350,000 people, and implicate the tubulin gene TUBB4B.

  • Dick Schijven
  • Sourena Soheili-Nezhad
  • Clyde Francks

  ArticleOpen Access2 Apr 2024 Nature Communications
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  Protein structure generation via folding diffusion

  The ability to engineer novel protein structures has tremendous scientific and therapeutic impact. Here, authors develop a generative model acting upon an angular representation of protein structures to create high quality protein backbones.

  • Kevin E. Wu
  • Kevin K. Yang
  • Ava P. Amini

  ArticleOpen Access5 Feb 2024 Nature Communications
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  Mitophagy curtails cytosolic mtDNA-dependent activation of cGAS/STING inflammation during aging

  Dysregulated autophagy and mitochondrial function are two well-described hallmarks of aging. Here, the authors describe an unexpected age-associated upregulation of mitophagy in response to neuroinflammation triggered by leaked mtDNA.

  • Juan Ignacio Jiménez-Loygorri
  • Beatriz Villarejo-Zori
  • Patricia Boya

  ArticleOpen Access27 Jan 2024 Nature Communications
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  Early evolution of small body size in Homo floresiensis

  How small-bodied hominins in southeast Asia became so small ~60 thousand years ago is unclear. Here, the authors present hominin remains dated to 700 thousand years ago with even smaller body size, suggesting early evolution and maintained small size in the region.’

  • Yousuke Kaifu
  • Iwan Kurniawan
  • Gerrit D. van den Bergh

  ArticleOpen Access6 Aug 2024 Nature Communications
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  RNA nanotherapeutics with fibrosis overexpression and retention for MASH treatment

  Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) poses challenges for targeted delivery and retention of therapeutic proteins due to excess extracellular matrix (ECM). To address this, the authors developed a “Fibrosis Overexpression and Retention (FORT) strategy” that can improve mRNA expression in the fibrotic region and extend the expressed protein in situ.

  • Xinzhu Shan
  • Zhiqiang Zhao
  • Lei Miao

  ArticleOpen Access27 Aug 2024 Nature Communications
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  Microbial decomposition of biodegradable plastics on the deep-sea floor

  It is unclear whether microbes can efficiently degrade biodegradable plastics in the extreme environmental conditions of the seafloor. Here, Omura et al. show that biodegradable plastics can be degraded by the action of microorganisms on the deep-sea floor, although with much less efficiency than in coastal settings.

  • Taku Omura
  • Noriyuki Isobe
  • Tadahisa Iwata

  ArticleOpen Access26 Jan 2024 Nature Communications
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  A universal molecular control for DNA, mRNA and protein expression

  Multi-omics analyses powerfully combine gene expression and translation, however no available controls can be used across these techniques. Here the authors develop pREF, a universal control construct designed for use in DNA, RNA and protein analyses.

  • Helen M. Gunter
  • Scott E. Youlten
  • Tim R. Mercer

  ArticleOpen Access20 Mar 2024 Nature Communications
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  Evolutionary trajectory and characteristics of Mpox virus in 2023 based on a large-scale genomic surveillance in Shenzhen, China

  Mpox virus has spread globally since 2022 with cases in many previously non-endemic countries including China. Here, the authors describe the genomic epidemiology of the first local outbreak in Shenzhen, China, including 92 cases reported from June–Oct 2023.

  • Shengjie Zhang
  • Fuxiang Wang
  • Yang Yang

  ArticleOpen Access28 Aug 2024 Nature Communications
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  Edible mycelium bioengineered for enhanced nutritional value and sensory appeal using a modular synthetic biology toolkit

  Fungi have the potential to produce sustainable foods for a growing population, but current products are based on a small number of strains with inherent limitations. Here, the authors develop genetic tools for an edible fungus and engineer its nutritional value and sensory appeal for alternative meat applications.

  • Vayu Maini Rekdal
  • Casper R. B. van der Luijt
  • Jay D. Keasling

  ArticleOpen Access14 Mar 2024 Nature Communications
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  Programmable editing of primary MicroRNA switches stem cell differentiation and improves tissue regeneration

  miRNAs play a crucial role in biological processes and their dysregulation is associated with many diseases and disorders. Here, the authors develop a method to manipulate miRNAs via RNA editing of their precursors and apply this method to program stem cell differentiation for bone tissue regeneration.

  • Vu Anh Truong
  • Yu-Han Chang
  • Yu-Chen Hu

  ArticleOpen Access27 Sep 2024 Nature Communications
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  IGF2BP3 promotes mRNA degradation through internal m⁷G modification

  Here the authors show that the binding of IGF2BP1-3, especially IGF2BP3, with m⁷G, could promote the degradation of m⁷G target transcripts in cancer cells. In glioblastoma, tuning the m⁷G level of TP53 results in modulation of cancer progression and chemosensitivity.

  • Chang Liu
  • Xiaoyang Dou
  • Chuan He

  ArticleOpen Access28 Aug 2024 Nature Communications
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  A genome-first study of sex chromosome aneuploidies provides evidence of Y chromosome dosage effects on autism risk

  Genetic and epidemiological investigations have yet to reveal what drives the large difference in ASD prevalence between the sexes. Here authors examine chromosome aneuploidy in a large ASD case-control cohort and report sex chromosome haploinsufficiency is a strong ASD risk factor, while the extra Y effect increases ASD risk significantly more than the extra X effect.

  • Alexander S. F. Berry
  • Brenda M. Finucane
  • Matthew T. Oetjens

  ArticleOpen Access15 Oct 2024 Nature Communications
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  A trans-oceanic flight of over 4,200 km by painted lady butterflies

  The extent and impact of global insect movements is hindered by tracking limitations. This study reveals a 4,200 km transatlantic journey by butterflies from West Africa to South America, lasting 5-8 days, highlighting the remarkable capacity of certain insects to disperse over vast distances.

  • Tomasz Suchan
  • Clément P. Bataille
  • Gerard Talavera

  ArticleOpen Access25 Jun 2024 Nature Communications
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  New estimates indicate that males are not larger than females in most mammal species

  The narrative that larger males are the norm in mammals has predominated for over a century. An analysis of body mass dimorphism across mammals, sampling families by their species richness, indicates that males are not larger than females in most mammals and that monomorphism is almost as prevalent.

  • Kaia J. Tombak
  • Severine B. S. W. Hex
  • Daniel I. Rubenstein

  ArticleOpen Access12 Mar 2024 Nature Communications
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  High-throughput prediction of protein conformational distributions with subsampled AlphaFold2

  Protein dynamics, crucial for life, are difficult and expensive to predict. This study shows that AI-based structure prediction methods can be modified for rapidly predicting the conformational landscapes of proteins, with strong correlations with experimentally-measured relative state populations.

  • Gabriel Monteiro da Silva
  • Jennifer Y. Cui
  • Brenda M. Rubenstein

  ArticleOpen Access27 Mar 2024 Nature Communications